CzechFolks.com

Článek v ČEŠTINĚ dole (Klikněte na “Read the rest …”)

Author: Josef Čermák (CzechFolks.com PLUS)

According to an announcement made by his family on June 30, 2009, Jan Rubeš, one of the most impressive, most important and best loved Czechoslovak artists in the world, died at the age of 89. No cause of death was given.

Rubeš was born in Volyně, Czechoslovakia, on June 6. 1920, attended Real-Gymnasium (a Czech term for a high school) in Strakonice (graduating in the year of the Munich surrender), and matriculated at both the Faculty of Medicine. Charles University and (having won a scholarship) at the Conservatory of Music, in Prague. He was a man of many talents. As a young man, he excelled in sports and won championships in skiing and tennis (but a bit later, also the Canadian National Senior Championship), had a magnificent velvet bass-baritone voice, charismatic personality and good looks.

The world soon noticed him. In 1945 he became the youngest basso at the Prague Opera House (he sang - at Prague and the Pilsen Opera House - over 30 leading roles). In 1948 he was sent to Geneva to represent his country at the International Music Festival. 1948 was the year the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia staged a coup d’état. Jan Rubeš decided to emigrate to Canada. He settled in Toronto, where he participated in live performances with the famed Canadian pianist Glenn Gould and in the early 50’s authored on CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) a radio program, Songs of my People, in which he starred as singer-narrator for 10 years.

I first met him after the second or third broadcast - I was involved with Czechoslovak Association in Toronto and Rubeš wanted to prove to CBC that the program had significant following. It sure did. Rubeš charmed us all with his selection of Czech, Moravian and Slovak songs (just as he charmed members of other ethnic groups with his selection of their songs), and we all called CBC and sang Jan’s praises. And we weren’t alone. Songs of my People became one of the most popular CBC radio programs.

Rubeš won the hearts of opera lovers with his interpretation of some 100 leading roles in the Canadian Opera Company, in New York City Centre, in opera houses in Pittsburgh, Washington, New Orleans, Seattle, Mexico, Germany. I believe I first saw him in the role of Kecal in Smetana’s Bartered Bribe. I loved his vodník (water sprite) in Dvořák’s Rusalka but also his appearances in Mozart’s comic operas. Rubeš sang operas at festivals at Stratford, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, toured Canada and USA, mostly with symphony orchestra, often singing Dvořák’s Biblical Songs - it will surprise no one that he stole our hearts with his rendition of “My cizinou jsme bloudili” (We wandered in the foreign lands). It wasn’t only opera, in which Rubeš reaped rich acclaim; he was equally successful in musicals: South Pacific, The Sound of music, Cabaret and Man of La Mancha.

He often sang for us - certainly in his younger days - at significant events in our community. The last time he participated in such a program, was on May 23, 2003 when he joined us - as a conferencier - at the McMillan Theatre in Toronto in a concert we named “Hold rodné zemi - Tribute to our native land”.

In the later years Jan became more prominent as an actor, appearing in TV dramas: Charlie Grant’s War, Catsplay, The Harvest (CBC); TV series : Crossways (ABC); Kane and Abel (CBS); Little Gloria; Campbells (CTV); The Day Grandad Died; and as guest in TV series such as: E.N.G., Street Legal, Fame, Life Goes On, Max Glick, ER, X-Files, Due South. As a movie actor, Jan scored heavily with his performance in the role of Amish grandfather in the Oscar - winning film Witness, which starred Harrison Ford; but also won praise for his (this time Jewish) grandfather in the comedy The Outside Chance of Maxmilian Glick, in which his wife was played by his real wife (and producer of the film), television actress and founder of the Young People’s Theatre in Toronto (among other things), Susan Douglas Rubes. Other films Rubeš appeared in include Forbidden Journey; Lion for Breakfast; The Amteur; The Incredible Journey; One Magic Christmas; Courage Mountain; Dead of Winter; Class Action; Deceived; Coming of Age; Roommates; Mesmer, Something about Love; Never too Late; Snow Falling on Cedars; Mighty Ducks 2; Believe.

There is more. Rubeš was also the author and star of Guess What, educational children’s program, taught at the Royal Conservatory Opera School; served as artist in residence at Wilfrid University in Waterloo, participated in Laterna Magica and - if I am not mistaken - in the (Czech) New Theatre in Toronto.

Among the awards he received are Centennial Medal; Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal; Hon. Citizenship of Winnipeg and Sydney (N.S.); honorary doctorates from the University of Guelph and University of Windsor; Gemini Award; Earle Grey Award (for Lifetime Work in Canadian Television); Order of Canada.

The last time the Czech and Slovak community in Toronto met him was two years ago, when Jan Rubeš received (along with Blanca Rohn) from the Consul General of the Czech Republic in Toronto, Richard Krpač, Order of Jan Masaryk. By then he was showing the marks time and the illness of old age engraved on his face. But what a harvest he left behind!

Jan Rubeš CV

***

Česká verze zde

Čeští/slovenští expati (1): Dr. Přemysl Pelnář ZDE

Čeští/slovenští expati (2): Dr. Jarmila Knopová ZDE

Čeští/slovenští expati (3): Dr. Mirko Janeček ZDE

***
HOME
CF PLUS